A new photo obtained by The Guardian appears to show a gathering held at Downing Street during lockdown.

The image shows Boris Johnson, his wife and staff in the garden of No 10 with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard on a table.

17 staff members are also pictured.

No 10 has insisted work meetings often took place in the garden, and a leading human rights barrister said it is unlikely the gatherings broke the law.

However, the photo was taken at a time when restrictions on meeting others were still in place.

Earlier on that same day, then health secretary Matt Hancock had told the daily Coronavirus briefing: “People can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like – and you can meet one other person from outside your household in an outdoor, public place. But please keep two metres apart.”

He added: “Please stick with the rules, keep an eye on your family and don’t take risks.”

Human rights barrister Adam Wagner, who examines Coronavirus regulations and interprets them on Twitter for the public, said he was “doubtful it was against the law”, but that it may have been against guidance.

He said on Twitter that regulations at the time stated, “you couldn’t be outside the place you were living without a reasonable excuse” and that working would be such a reason.

And that there was “no way of knowing from a pic that they weren’t working”.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has urged the Prime Minister to “tell us the truth”.

“Enough is enough. Tell us the truth about what was going on in Downing Street from the very beginning immediately @BorisJohnson” she wrote on Twitter.

In the photograph published by The Guardian, Johnson can be seen sitting around a garden table with his then-fiancee Carrie, and two members of staff.

Salisbury Journal: The gathering occurred after a Coronavirus briefing (PA)The gathering occurred after a Coronavirus briefing (PA)

Nine people are then gathered on the grass, with another two sitting on the floor to the right.

On Sunday, a No 10 spokesperson told The Guardian: “As we said last week, work meetings often take place in the Downing Street garden in the summer months. On this occasion, there were staff meetings after a No 10 press conference.

“Downing Street is the Prime Minister’s home as well as his workplace. The Prime Minister’s wife lives in No 10 and therefore also legitimately uses the garden.”

The Prime Minister is alleged to have told one aide that they deserved a drink for “beating back” coronavirus.

Some aides reportedly carried on drinking into the evening, although there was no suggestion Mr Johnson or Mr Hancock had any alcohol or stayed late.

The alleged gathering is one of many that are alleged to have occurred during Covid restrictions.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray has been tasked with investigating the reports after Cabinet Secretary Simon Case was removed from the probe after it was revealed he had known about a quiz held in his department.

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